Forest Legacy Program

Thursday

The North Quabbin Regional Landscape Partnership is requesting $5.1 million to conserve one of New England’s most important working forest landscapes, according to Jay Rasku from the NQRLP.

The request has been made to Michael Fleming, Forest Legacy Program, Department of Conservation and Recreation.

The Southern Monadnock Plateau Phase III Forest Legacy Project will leverage $1.7 million in cost-share donations and will conserve a total of 2,317 acres of working forests in Princeton, Ashburnham, Ashby, Gardner, Westminster and Winchendon, as well as Mason, N.H. Fourteen landowners representing 19 tracts are participating in a project that includes the Nausha River Greenway Forest Legacy Area and the New Hampshire Forest Legacy area.

The project is the third phase of a multiyear effort to protect forest corridors of high ecological, hydrological, recreational and economic value which cross the Massachusetts and New Hampshire state line. The value of the forests for the economy, for "ecosystem services," and for wildlife habitat has been highlighted in numerous governmental reports.